


The Tree

by flipperbrain



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff and Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-02-25
Packaged: 2019-03-24 01:40:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13800681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flipperbrain/pseuds/flipperbrain
Summary: A tree falls in the backyard. There's clean up and sore muscles, with feelings and a little sex to attend to.





	The Tree

Emma stands at the kitchen window and sips her coffee while she watches Killian and her father work in the backyard. A large old maple tree fell during a terrible windstorm last week, and while she’s grateful that it spared their house, she’s heartbroken about its loss. She will miss the beautiful deep red of its leaves in autumn and the shade it provided, allowing the violets that grew beneath its branches to thrive.

It was hard work cleaning up the mess, they’ll have plenty of firewood this winter she thinks to herself. She helped to clear away the brush and rake up the debris while her boys chopped and hacked and cut up the rest. They will call someone to grind the stump, it’s a bigger job than they feel equipped to handle. She smiles as she watches them joke and laugh and high-five each other, feeling so lucky to have these two fine men in her life.

It looks like they’ve finished and she meets them at the back door, surveying the landscape now neat and nearly back to where it once was.

‘Hey, nice work men!’ She exclaims sliding her arm around Killian’s waist then looks at her father

‘Come in and have some coffee and a bite to eat, Dad.’

‘No, no, I’m filthy and your mother has already called to ask when I’ll be home,’ he gives her a sweaty kiss on the cheek, ‘let’s get together for dinner later this week,’ he replies and smiles at her with fatherly adoration. He pats Killian’s shoulder and kisses him on the cheek as well and winks at him, then turns and heads for his truck.

‘Thank you again, David’ Killian says grinning, Emma rolls her eyes and laughs at them both.

Killian grimaces, rotating his right shoulder and stretching his hand a little as he watches David walk away. They stand at the kitchen counter eating the cheese and fruit she prepared as a snack, while they discuss getting estimates from a tree service. Emma promises to make some phone calls tomorrow.

‘I’m going to take a shower now, love,’ he says and gives her a light peck on the lips then heads to the bathroom.

———————

Emma noticed his soreness as he flexed his arm, and she knows it’s days like today that he feels his disability acutely. He’s the most intelligent, capable man she has ever known, physically fit and able to tackle nearly every obstacle in his path, but there are limitations to what he can do on his own. It frustrates him and makes him angry, she can see it on his face but he doesn’t want to burden her with his upset, though she’s always ready to listen.

So, she picks up where he’s left off without question, and lends a hand to work seamlessly with him to complete any small task he has trouble with. They know each other so well, she’s aware of his gestures and movements, paying close attention any time he might need her… but today she watched him swing an axe with one arm over and over again, guide the chainsaw with his Hook, but most of the weight of it fell on his right arm, there’s things he wants to accomplish on his own and she can’t always step in.

She takes two large bath sheets from the linen closet and spreads one of them on the bed while he showers, she ordered them last year because ‘bath sheets how cool!’ But they are huge and unwieldy, and not well suited for bathing in her opinion… but perfect for what she has in mind. She closes the drapes and dims the floor lamp in the corner, then lights a cone of sandalwood incense and sits on the edge of the bed waiting for Killian to finish his shower.

———————

He opens the door, still toweling his hair dry and she greets him with a kiss. He looks around and asks ‘what’s all this about?’ Shh,’ she says and presses a finger against his lips then leads him to the bed, ‘lie down on your stomach please.’ She directs. He grins at her and dutifully complies. She admires his perfect butt before covering him from the waist down with the second sheet, then climbs onto the bed and straddles his waist. She begins to comb through his dark, damp hair with both hands, working upward then down; massaging his scalp, gripping and gently pulling with her fingers and rubbing the base of his head with her thumbs. He relaxes into the pillow, sighing with pleasure, and she smiles at the sight of his profile… his eyes are closed, his mouth open and askew… he might start drooling soon she thinks with an inward giggle.

Killian is in heaven on earth and an angel’s hands are buried in his hair. He is tired and sore and Emma is so in tune with his thoughts and feelings that she knew exactly what he needed. To be touched, and loved.

Emma rubs and pulls until she feels his head has been sufficiently tended, then reaches for the bottle of sweet almond oil she bought for just such an occasion. She pours a small amount onto her palm then rubs her hands together. Her thumbs and fingers smooth up and down and around his neck, pressing into the muscles then sliding out onto the top of his shoulders, kneading out the tension with her fingers. She bends to use her forearms, working across his deltoids and sliding down his trapezius muscles on either side of his spine with deep pressure, ‘let me know if this is too much, ok?’ She asks, he nods and responds with a muffled ‘mmm k’. The oil has a slight scent that’s pleasant and it’s not greasy which is a good thing. Once it soaks in his skin will be soft but he won’t need another shower.

She moves toward his waist, rubbing outward and around his ribs with her palms, putting extra focus on his right side. A little more oil then her hands slide up and down the length of his back several times. She stands up and removes the towel and drapes it over his back and shoulders to keep him warm, then her palms press into his glorious cheeks. They glide down onto the backs of his thighs and around to circle the top of his hips. She was never a butt person until she met Killian, his is so firm and round, curving gently into his thigh. It fits perfectly into the shape of her hand and she can’t help bending to kiss his cheek before moving on. She works up and down his legs, squeezing his calves and rotating his feet to loosen his ankle joints. She digs into his arches with her thumbs and knuckles, using more oil as she massages his heels, then bends and flexes his toes forward and back, pinching them one by one, barely resisting the urge to recite ‘this little piggy.’ Aloud anyway.

———————

She moves to the head of the bed and touches Killian’s shoulder, ‘hey babe, can you turn over?’

He nods and rolls over, and he’s adorable. His hair is sticking out all over the place and he looks half asleep. She smiles at him and asks quietly, ‘do you want me to do your front or would you rather go to sleep?’

He opens one eye and looks at her grinning sideways, then answers ‘yes please.’

She laughs noticing things are already happening down below, but she ignores it and covers him with the towel then moves into position astride his waist. She leans forward and strokes his face softly with her fingers, circling over his temples and pressing lightly along his cheekbones and down his nose. He opens his eyes and she gets lost in them for a moment, he looks so vulnerable and so handsome, she falls in love with him all over again every time she sees his face. ‘Close your eyes my love, I have work to do’ she says then kisses him gently before returning to her task.

Her fingers press along his jaw then around his ears, folding them forward and applying light pressure to the bones behind them. More oil as she continues under his jaw and down his neck, across his collarbone and the tops of his arms then slides down to his chest. Her fingernails scratch through his thick hair then she uses her palms to massage his pecs. He winces a little as she works the right side and she eases back on the pressure, lots of tension and tightness there, her fingers gently prod and manipulate until the muscles feel looser.

She picks up his right arm and lays it across his chest pressing into his bicep with her thumbs, squeezing his elbow and flexing it back and forth then moving down his strong forearm to his hand. She kisses his palm as her thumbs press into it, rubbing out the knots and massaging each finger before moving his arm back to his side and picking up his left.

She works down it in much the same way, until she gets to his wrist where his hand used to be. She’s seen and touched his stump many, many times in the past, she loves him. Every inch of him. Her eyes fill with tears as she holds his damaged limb in her hands but she blinks them away and kisses his scars. Killian doesn’t want pity, and she doesn’t _feel_ pity exactly. She’s just so sorry that it ever happened to him, that he had to endure such pain.

———————

She stands up again to move the towel but there’s a curious tent pole beneath it this time. She looks at him and he’s grinning from ear to ear. He opens his eyes and sits up, then pats his thigh.

’Killian, this was supposed to be relaxing’ she says, but caves quickly and shimmies out of her jeans, then climbs back onto the bed and straddles his lap

‘I’m totally relaxed, well almost. How much do I owe you lass?’ He asks

‘Eh, I do pirates for free,’ she says as she sinks down onto him and grinds against his hips.

He swallows then licks his lips, and with a sudden movement flips her backward onto the mattress. She’s laughing as he leans forward to kiss her eyelids and her cheeks and whisper ‘thank you, love’ against her mouth as he begins to move… then he stops and looks into her eyes, ‘I have no regrets Swan,’ his face is intense and serious as he continues ‘I would not change a thing if it meant not being right here, in this moment, with you.’

Tears spring to Emma’s eyes again as their lips meet and she feels him start moving inside her again.

They complete each other.

She kisses him deeply, passionately, their tongues gliding and chasing each other as his hips swivel and thrust against her. His head dips to kiss and suck a brand on her neck, her back arches as he hits the right spot again and again. Her legs wrap around him, her feet press against his cheeks, urging him to move faster, harder. She watches his hair flop against his forehead in sync with his rhythm, his eyes are squeezed closed, his lips drawn back over his teeth as he pounds into her.

She reaches down to touch herself and Killian groans, feeling her fingers moving at the base of his shaft and the warmth in his groin spreading until he can barely hold on. He looks at her face, wanting to see her when she comes, and she looks back at him panting, her mouth is slack as her muscles spasm, rippling and squeezing him and he lets go. Grunting and squeaking and pulsing, pouring out his orgasm inside her, his body straining and rigid as he spills out. His movements gradually slow, then he slips out and they curl together, kissing softly until their breathing returns to normal. She holds his left wrist against her breast and they drift off for a satisfied nap until dinnertime.


End file.
